Monday, March 29, 2010

Avengers Go...Go!Well, we finally know what the final Avengers cast is going to be now that the final piece is in place...

This was going to be posted last week, but things happen. And then the antibiotics kicked in. Really, I think 2012 is going to be a great year for film in general and Disney in particular. Why not Marvel? Well, it will be good for them as well, but even though "Avengers" is being distributed by Paramount, you can bet that the Mouse is rooting for them, because the Walt Disney Company/Walt Disney Pictures is going to be the one to truly benefit in the long run. Why can that be you might be wondering? Well, most (not all) of those actors are signed to multiple deals and presuming the film is a huge hit then you can expect a sequel(s). When a second adventure comes out with these fellas in tights you can bet that it's going to be under a Disney moniker, or a Touchstone one.

And that year is going to produce some interesting and exciting films that audiences are going to be drawn to. AndrewStanton's highly awaited live-action directorial debut of "John Carter of Mars" will finally be seen. We may even get a "Superman" film depending on how fast things progress (although 2013 is the likelier result). Unless it's delayed again we can expect to see "The Lone Ranger" with his Indian sidekick Tonto Depp also. Sony will have their "Spider-Man 4" reboot, based on Ultimate Spider-Man that summer. A new "Star Trek" feature will be beaming into theaters about this time. A return journey to Middle Earth should be halfway through as the second part of "TheHobbit" gets released (presuming the sale of MGM doesn't delay production, of course). The RonHoward/TomHanks "The Lost Symbol" should be boring audiences, I'm sorry, I meant boring me, by then as well. Should luck drop on us like a ton of bricks or perhaps a giant rolling ball, we may get a fifth Indiana Jones film (possibly in a wheel chair this time). The Bryan Singer produced "X-Men: First Class" will likely come out the year before so we could possibly have "X-Men 4" this year as an added bonus. Oh, and Walt Disney Animation Studios will have a picture out that year as well, and it won't feature a princess from all the pitches I've been hearing that Lasseter and Ed and Co. have been taking.

Several other films are still being determined, but you can see from this partial list that this will be a big, big year for film. Even though Disney won't be part of several of these films, they will profit from them since the characters starring in them are owned by them. I'm sure Bob Iger will ultimately want these films to fall under his own studio, but he seems more than willing to wait them out in a decade long game of patience. But for many pop culture geeks/comic book nerds/sci-fi devotees, "Avengers" will be numero uno.

So the Mouse will be rooting for a film that isn't even under it's studio to be a great hit for that summer. Because a giant blockbuster for Paramount in 2012 means an even more anticipated sequel under Disney in 2014/15. So 2012 can't get here any sooner for the Burbank Suits at Walt Disney Pictures and their long term plans.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Blue Sky Disney has now had over two thousand posts in two and a half years. Wow/Whoa. That's a lot of typing. Many of which I'm sure you've loved/hated. But I want to thank each and everyone of you for coming and reading a piece of my mind or the other authors.

I'm glad you appreciate the site and hope that we can continue bringing you more news, rumors and commentary about the Mouse and everything else.

Friday, March 26, 2010

With each passing day there seems to be more TRON news, more billboards, more pictures released, more trailers (summer will be glorious!), and more interviews with fictional characters.

HenryJenkins has done an interview with a real person. The creator of Tron himself, StevenLisberger, the quasi-founder/Yoda of this cult. A very interesting dialog and revealing conversation that I highly recommend you take a look at.

With all this hype, let's cross our fingers that it lives up to the expectations and the box office lives up to the Suit's desires. If so, you ain't gonna believe what will follow at the Happiest Place on Earth a couple years later.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

I'll be the first to admit I was very sceptical when I heard about them making this, but after seeing these trailers I'm willing to hold my opinion until I've at least seen it. The trailers aren't what I expected and are at least intriguing to my open mind.

After all, Disney has made magic before and perhaps with this it will again...

For years he's been silent about the disappearance, but not any longer...

Former CEO of ENCOM, Alan Bradley, has made himself available for interviews lately and the folks over at IGN have scooped a revealing chat with the one time head of the company. Often considered Kevin Flynn's right hand man, many wondered if he had anything to do with the wunderkind vanishing or if he knew more than he revealed.

This would make an interesting concoction; Jerry Maguire, Mr. Lost and Mr. Incredible working on the same film? Wow, now let's just cross our fingers that the script by Andre Nemec and Josh Appelbaum is good/great. Bird likes to write his own material, so I'm wondering should this thing actually go further; will he do a rewrite? Or perhaps he'd just be a director-for-hire?

Hey, for my two-cents, I think he should direct that "Superman" film that Nolan is producing, but I'm up for anything he directs. The man's a genius. Hopefully some day he'll be able to get the earthquake film going again, but I don't wish to wait much longer for a Brad Bird film. So if the skies align then maybe we'll see Ethan Hunt doing some really incredible adventures.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Sorry about the lack of updates, but I've been under the weather all this weekend and had to cancel or postpone most of what was scheduled over the last few days. As usual, life goes where it wants and drags you along with it.

Friday, March 19, 2010

As Disney's California Adventure slowly moves toward becoming an actual "Disney" theme park, the other gate built in 2001 keeps growing and adding to its already impressive line-up...

It's been a while since I heard from my Bothans. Trying times like the one the economy is in right now tend to keep lips tight as jobs are hard to come by and no one at WDI wants to be let go. I've known that several projects were in development for the next few years, some big, some small, but I didn't know they were going to announce this one. It appears they keep adding more and more to 2011 and Tokyo DisneySEA's tenth anniversary. It's grown quite a bit in a decade and from what I hear there are several nice proposals waiting for the OLC to approve that could turn Tokyo's Second Gate into an even more stunning destination by the fifteenth anniversary. All it's going to take is a little signature on the dotted line. Time will tell.

But for those that didn't hear about it, the Oriental Land Companyannounced Wednesday that in addition to Toy Story Mania coming to the American Waterfront in TDS, the Arabian Coast will be getting a nice C-Ticket as well. Jasmine's Flying Carpets will open in 2011 to the delight and joy of boys and girls everywhere. It appears to be a variation of the carpet rides that can be found at other Disney Parks, but with the usual Tokyo "plussing" of the ride. It's going to be placed next to Sindbad's Seven Voyages for those that know the park. Each carpet (or vehicle) will hold four people in two rows with sixteen vehicles. It's going to cost two billion yen, that's only twenty-two million dollars American, so it's not an expensive attraction, but a valuable addition to an already great place to be/go. It'll open in summer of next year along with the new addition to another port. I think we'll have to wait till the anniversary to hear about that new E-Ticket that they're wanting to put in. Let's hope the economy doesn't get any worse and spoil any plans that are scheduled over the next few years.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Apple's iPad has only been on sale for a few days, but many have been wondering what it can do to rescue the print industry from the current digital dilemma it's now in...

Particularly the world of magazines. With subscriptions down and the trend expected to continue, many have seen the future in devices like the Kindle and now, the iPad. SteveJobs believes this is the future of media and many believe him, but no one knows exactly what this new structure will look like. What would a future digital magazine or book look like?

Well, here's an example one magazine mocked up as to what/how to deliver a magazine to a 21st century audience. The results are quite interesting in the possibilities that can result from an embedded content and show how a subscription based media could work.

It appears that according to IESB, Lucasfilm is working on an animated (CG of course) series based on the "Star Wars: Galactic Heroes" line of figures. There seems to be an effort to cash in on the young boys that also happen to like Marvel's "The Superhero Squad." I'm not worried about this series, because frankly, it's not aimed at me. Still, it would be nice if Mr. George did something that appealed to his original fan base and not those that have grown up on the mediocrity of the Prequels.

The website jokingly say they give Lucas a couple years before we get an Indiana Jones animated series. I personally welcome this if it turns out to be the series that PaulDini wants to do.

Remember how we mentioned that now that the Mouse owns Marvel, the powers that be have combed over the vast catalog of characters for stories to exploit...

There are several properties that have been approved (like XD's Avengers program and one other yet to be announced one) and many more that are in the concept and proposal phase. But one of the proposals for a film and possible television series could be an exciting project as well.

After Paramount's deal with Marvel expires in 2012/13 the films that are released will come under Disney's moniker or it's Touchstone label. Several of the actors who have signed for roles have also signed agreements that could extend their characters/parts up to nine different appearances. Those appearances will almost definitely appear in films under Disney. Samuel L.Jackson is under one such an agreement as the Ultimates inspired, NickFury. No time table has been set as to when a Shield film would happen as it's in the early stages, or if Fury would play a major part, but the plans are going forward.

This being Hollywood, it doesn't mean it's a sure thing or if it will be one of the first films out of Disney's gate, but rest assured that Suits in Burbank are excited by the prospects of taking the secret organization and turning into an exploitable franchise set amongst multiple platforms (film, television, Internet, books, clothes, costumes, toys, gadgets, ect.). But think of this as of model of what Disney wants to do. Imagine this being the Mouse's version of what G.I.Joe could have been. Many see this as a possible franchise for massive profits to add to those Disney Vaults. Now saying that Fury would be in it is a given, but as I've said, it's still in an embryonic state and the talks as of now are about the agency itself. That way, once Jackson/Fury are long gone, the organization would go on. So other Marvel characters from Shield as well new ones created for films/series would be used.

In a never ending quest for that male demographic that has eluded Disney, this project could turn into the Holy Grail...

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Walt Disney Pictures' "Alice in Wonderland" is a huge hit having already taken in half a billion dollars worldwide, but if it was up to the Suits, the movie never would have been what wound up on screen...

When the macabre wunderkind film maker first had talks with Disney Suits there were serious discussions as to what medium he would do it in. The intention of Burton had been to make the film a hybrid of live-action and motion-capture, similar to what wound up on the screen. But the brass at Disney wanted it to be entirely motion-capture, like its other studio ImageMovers Digital. This was the creative and budgetary route the Suits felt was best.

Burton's early discussions with them were in objection to this, but it wasn't until he convinced them that a certain actor wouldn't be up for it. JohnnyDepp, who loves to play bizarre and eclectic characters wouldn't go for wearing black suits with ping pong balls on them. It's not something Johnny likens to and would have dampened his enthusiasm for playing the part in Burton's sequel. And with Johnny considerable weight (power-wise I mean), the Disney heads backed down. Burton told them as much in a meeting that if Johnny had to wear those outfits and walk around a blank room he'd pretty much turn down the role. With Johnny Depp's huge star power and commitment to "On Strange Tides," what he wants is very much catered to at the Mouse House. Whether it's the tone/direction of a film or simply just a food order from his favorite restaurant at the Disneyland Resort sent up to his hotel suite (which happens to be in DCA, btw).

Friday, March 12, 2010

Now we know he was casing the joint. With all the money it took to create "A Christmas Carol" versus all the money it made, a decision was made to cut the Mouse's losses. That's right, a movie that made over well over three hundred million dollars is a looser in this day and age. As of 2011, Disney is shuttering the facility/production company and its 400+ employees. Sad day for those affected by this action.

Here is the official press release:

BURBANK, Calif. – March 12, 2010 – The Walt Disney Studios and ImageMovers Digital (IMD) today announced that they will close operations at IMD’s Marin County facility after production is completed on Mars Needs Moms. The IMD facility is expected to be closed by January, 2011.

“Bob and the entire IMD team successfully built a state of the art studio and produced an amazing film, A Christmas Carol, at a time when the dynamics of the industry are rapidly changing,” said Alan Bergman, President of The Walt Disney Studios. “But, given today’s economic realities, we need to find alternative ways to bring creative content to audiences and IMD no longer fits into our business model.”

“I’m incredibly proud of the talented team that we assembled at IMD and the fantastic work they have accomplished,” said Robert Zemeckis, one of the co-founders of ImageMovers Digital. “Their pride and dedication to making quality movies is evident in everything we have produced.”

The Studio is hoping to create a new long-term production deal with Zemeckis and his IMD partners, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey, which will include the continued development of the Yellow Submarine project.

Quite a bit different that what Bergman said just a couple years ago with the creation of IMD:

"We're really excited about this new performance-capture company," said Alan Bergman, president of Walt Disney Studios. "We think it's going to play a huge role in making film going forward. We want to be at the cutting edge of this technology."

Amazing how a couple years, one film and mediocre box office can change one's perspective, eh?

I'm not a huge fan of the hyper-realistic MoCap that Zemeckis has used or more particularly, the stories he's chosen to make, but I am a fan of Bob Zemeckis. He's produced some truly wonderful films in my childhood through the end of my college years as a star quarterback for, wait. Sorry, dreaming there for a moment. But many of Mr. Zemeckis' films have littered the shadowy corners of my brain and I thank him for it. I do wish he'd join the world of the living though and stop making films in a warehouse with guys wearing ping pong balls on their outfits.

Perhaps he'll now make a Roger Rabbit sequel that has actual actors in it. No final word yet on what will become of "Yellow Submarine," but the deal could be a stopgap measure to ensure he continues working for Disney. It's hoped that something along those lines will keep the animators busy for a couple more years. And maybe the director can put some other exciting ideas he has into development.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Still no news as to who will be CaptainAmerica, although my choice, Captain Awesome seems to be out of the running. But the villain is being fitted for his disfigurement as we speak. HugoWeaving is in talks to plain Caps' arch-enemy, the Red Skull. Great to see Mr. Smith is up for the role... Weaving is a talented actor and I'm sure would make a very evil nemesis for the Sentinel of Liberty.

Now, I have a feeling we'll find out who wields the shield very shortly...

You all know I'm a huge Apple fan, but the one thing I'll concede to the PC is it has a massive gaming universe...

One that I admit to envying as Mac gaming is a very small part of the platform. Not that I don't/can't game. I tend to play consoles mainly. My PS3 is a great device for games and Blu-Ray. But it would be nice to have more games on my Macintosh. After all, you can only play Star Craft so many times (my fav Mac game, btw). That may be about to change. I was aiming to mention this on Monday, but as usual I got busy with life and life just won't let go sometimes.

For those that haven't heard the news, Valve Softwareannounced that they're making their Steam program, which is a social community/store, a social network that allows users to communicate with each other and most importantly, play games. Valve is making it so anyone with a Mac can use the store and play with multiple computers, PC or Mac. And you can leave work where you've secretly been playing on your PC while the boss wasn't looking and then head home and finish playing the same game on your iMac. Cool beans, don't ya think?

The cherry on top of this announcement is that Valve is porting all, that's ALL their games over as well as making sure that their SOURCE rendering engine is up to date and compatible as well. And from now on ALL games they make will be available from day one for the platform (Valve now considers it a Tier-1 platform, meaning that all their games will be on PC, Mac and X-Box 360 simultaneously). No PS3 version though, huh?

And an even greater aftershock from this is that the SOURCE Engine is licensed to other companies. Now, when they make a version of their product, it'll almost certainly have a version that ships for the Mac. Great news for SteveJobs' Little Fruit Company (you know, when he's not attending Walt Disney Company board room meetings). Finally, we should start seeing a respectable gaming collection. I don't expect all the games you see on a Windows computer to be coming out, but the majority should, could and probably will.

Many have wondered if he would actually come back and make a sequel to "The Dark Knight" with its amazing success and pentacle of super-hero adaptations. Could he? Would he? Why would he even try when he can walk away on top of the mountain, so to speak.

Then there is the talk about him having something to do with the new "Superman" reboot/franchise. Well, he's finally came forward to answer some of these questions with a surprising bit of repressed honesty. The Los Angeles Times has a great article and interview with the director that is as revealing as it is frustrating for a comic/film geek. Even though it reveals greater detail than I expected, I keep wanting more and more.

Have a read and wait for the painfully slow time to pass before enjoying the fruits of his (and brother Jonathan and Goyer's) labor...

It seems that Hollywood's fascination with the Eighties is continuing...

But now it has moved beyond just remakes of 80's films to the culture. Particularly video games. I'm sure many of you saw the announcement that the classic arcade hit "Space Invaders" was being turned into a film. This follows on the news that a game based on "Missle Command" is being adapted. And we all know that "Tron Legacy" will be coming out late this year based on the 80's film about video games, which actually spawned an arcade game. This got me wondering what other games from that time period would be great or at least captivating enough for adapting into a film. Here's an incomplete list of films that Suits could/probably are going after.

Donkey Kong - The classic game that brought us Mario which has him rescuing the heroine from a giant gorilla. I'm sure Peter Jackson is salivating at doing this one.

Joust - This tale of knights riding giant bird creatures among floating rocks brings to mind images of "Avatar" when thinking of the possibilities. But since Cameron is busy, how about Andrew Stanton once he finishes "John Carter of Mars?"

Robotron - Ironically, Disney sued Williams Electronics for the "Tron" part of the name. Apparently the Mouse's lawyers didn't know that tron was used before the 1982 by scientist and the world alike to discover things like, oh, electrons and such. How about Neill Blomkamp for this project?

Pac Man - Who can ever forget this lovable little guy? Imagine a bizarre film featuring this fellow running around a glowing room looking for food. Only one man should direct this. Terry Gilliam, your future awaits you.

Dragon's Lair - And bringing it back home to Disney territory, former Disney animator Don Bluth created this sensation about a knight named Dirk the Daring, who attempted to rescue a beautiful princess, Daphne, from the evil dragon Singe, who has locked Daphne in a ancient wizard's castle. Who else to direct this, but Don Bluth of course.

Defender - A lone fighter must protect his planets inhabitants while destroying an alien horde bent on control and domination. Steven Spielberg, call your agent. I think he has some news for you.

Asteroids - Out in an asteroid belt, a small spacecraft plots a course for its survival all while having to avoid hostile alien forces. Could this be any better a project for George Lucas? Oh wait, yes I forgot about that. Go back to the Ranch, George. We'll get someone like James McTeigue as a substitute.

Zaxxon - Another space fighter game where you're trying to move through behind enemy lines and destroy their bases. I sense another opportunity for Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams to work together!

Centipede - A distant traveler on a strange and exotic planet encounters strange and horrific insect like creatures that he/she has to destroy in order to survive. How about we get Rob Zombie to direct this one? It can't be as bad as his Halloween remakes can it? Can it?

Galaga - A space warship encounters an alien armada heading toward his home and has to destroy it all by himself. Could this be "The Last Starfighter" game adaptation? No, but it sounds like it. Let's call up Ronald Moore and have him work on this. He did an impressive adaption of "Battlestar Galactica" so why not this?

Castlevania - Simon Belmont, a descendant of the Belmont clan of vampire hunters, travels to the dark and foreboding fortress of Dracula, Castlevania. There he fights all the evils until he meets the famous vampire in a battle that apparently Von Helsing couldn't finish. Kind of like "Bram Stoker's Dracula" meets "Indiana Jones." Francis Ford Coppola could come out of his semi-retirement and do this one with his eyes closed.

Tempest - A bizarre world where you have to survive a gauntlet of creatures that come at you from strange dimensions. This seems opportune for a director such as David Lynch to pull off.

Pitfall! - Ok, this one didn't start out as an arcade game but it did become one later when Sega licensed it from Activision. It was a fun game when it came out in the 80's for the Atari and could prove to be a great film. If you're going to rip off Indy, then Pitfall Harry is the one you should do it with. Now, who is in between projects right now that could handle this? Steven Sommers perhaps?

Double Dragon - Billy Lee and his twin brother Jimmy (known as Hammer and Spike), fight through the gangland of the Black Warriors gang to rescue their mutual love interest Marian. Now this film screams of cheesy, 80's kung fu/karate films. Who better than Sam Firstenberg to direct and Golan-Globus to produce. Perfection. I wouldn't even know it was a new film.

Pole Position - A racing game? With fast, Formula One race cars and add in some hot girls and slick shiny action? Is there anyone out there besides me that can't imagine Michael Bay directing this? The film he was born to do!

Well, that's my list. And time to fess up. Of course some of these films would make great adaptions, while others would be a desecration at least and a challenge at best. I'll let you guess which ones are deserving of an actual good film and which ones would simply be giant hole through which money is dumped. Now that might make an interesting arcade game.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

The Anaheim GardenWalk will be up for sale on today because the developer couldn't meet the payments. One has to wonder what Disney thinks of this. After all, this a chance for them to control a piece of property that could prove valuable years from now when that Third Gate opens up. Would the Mouse let the opportunity pass by and let some other bidder come in and take it? What if the new owner were hostile to them and their plans? Wouldn't it be a safer bet, especially during this suppressed economy to take hold of that valuable plot of land?

Now, as I've said, I have no inside knowledge on this. I simply think it's a moment that the Walt Disney Company has to plan for the future. When they do someday build another park, there are going to be people streaming in and out of all day long, all year long. Those people/guest are going to tired and hungry. Wouldn't Disney like to be the ones that makes the money from them obviously going across the street and having a bite to eat, a movie to see or a bed to sleep in?

Perhaps turning it into a Downtown Disney East with the original being a Downtown Disney West. Call it the Downtown Disney GardenWalk. This actually falls into theming with the original as it's supposed to be a garden. Did you know that? With all those waterfalls, trees and flower fountain most don't realize it but that's the theme for the outdoor shopping area of the Disneyland Resort. They could put Imagineers to work on "Disneyfying" the place, making it more friendly and accessible. Most of all, they can make it more of a garden, which is one of the things I think it's lacking in. Strangely. Where is all that foliage you see in the concept art?

But I can't imagine that Bob Iger and company haven't at least thought of this. Will there ever be a time in the next couple of decades where it would be possible to purchase this land for the devalued amount it would cost in this recession? I speculate this as a possibility, but I wonder if Iger has had talks with the new head of Disney ParksTom Staggs about this matter. He does seem to have a vision to see the opportunity of moments like this. For a fraction of what Bob paid for the Marvel acquisition he can get some desired breathing space for that new park that will someday bare his fingerprints. And if what I think will be built there does happen, he'd be very smart to be bold here.

No, I'm not talking about another sequel to the beloved 1995 classic film. But I am talking about more adventures of Woody, Buzz and the gang. The kind that you can be involved in.

When Toy Story 3 opens up later this summer, DCA is going to be in the middle of its expansion, the World of Color water show will be dazzling throngs of fans coming through the gate and you will be barraged by everything Toy Story.

In addition to all the merchandise the Mouse will have for you to spend on there is going to be something more for you to do. MidwayMania has been a huge success for Imagineering, but believe it or not, there has always been more planned for the attraction. Its design has allowed for short down times where the software is updated so that new/different games can be played. Unlike the Haunted Mansion, this ride could literally be down for days, not weeks and then back up again with completely new fun for guest to enjoy.

It's been know that WDI had plans for a Halloween theme and a Christmas theme for the attraction since it's conception. One thing you may not know, but when all the dialog was recorded for Mr. Potato Head, there were tons of tracks put down for thing for him to say. Contrary to the small amount of conversation he has with the guest, there is treasure trove of punchlines, one liners and corny jokes that will/could keep him going for a decade. Like what? Did you know there were Christmas songs recorded for the spud to bout out to guest in line during the holidays? And although there was no holiday layover for the last two year, there are plans for one in the coming future.

Come this summer, there will be something else though. When a new Toy Story film comes out on June 18th there will be an exciting surprise waiting for those in line to ride the attraction. New games. That's right, when you go inside to ride Mania after TS3 opens there will be whole new games to enjoy. The Imagineers have created a whole new collection of things to shoot with those pull string cannons for you to enjoy. It's also a way for Disney to test the strength's of the old games and see which ones fans like and which ones could just go away. There are no plans yet as to when they'll go away. It depends on how long those lines grow and how much time guest have to wait before a decision will be made to return the attraction to its original games. Should they prove popular, it could be quite sometime before you see them return.

As for a decision on the Christmas/Holiday overlay, that hasn't happened yet. It's unclear if there will be one starting this year or if they'll hold off through the expansion until next year, but it is coming. Until then, bide your time until the new overlay takes place this summer.

And who knows, there might even be more Toy Story surprises for fans later this year that are still under wraps...

Wow, no sooner did we mention that the new Tron series would be animated than it was announced...

The Tron series was shown in a presentation by Gary Marsh, Entertainment President & CCO of Disney Channels Worldwide. It was stated the series would be for Disney XD (only the pilot has been greenlit, btw) as well as one Marvel animated series.

This is one of two Marvel series that we revealed months ago here at Blue Sky Disney. I was told that one of the series was a "team" show and figured it had to be Avengers or X-Men. The other series has yet to be announced and I don't know if it'll make the coming line-up or be placed as a mid-season replacement or the Suits will wait for the following season. But as we said, expect XD to slowly morph into a very Marvelly kind of network over the coming years.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Have a look, it's got a lot of the old trailer with about a third new scenes. Is it me or does all that slick imagery make you feel like you'll get a headache watching this? It certainly is shiny and epic with a distinctive style all it's own. And I'm glad that it's not just trying to mimic the game. Plus it has a very good director so I'm really wanting this to be good.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Take the film "Tron" for example. When it came out it was a huge disappointment to Walt Disney Productions. They expected this to be their new "Star Wars" and when it was released not that many went and saw it. Over time, the storyline has proven to be ahead of its time (not the script, mind you). And as the passage of years goes by it's gathered more and more followers to where it's now a cult hit. Over the past decade there has been talk of finally making a sequel, but most of it was rumors that never made it anywhere other that the whispers of fan boys in pop culture's hallway.

Then there was that concepttrailer that Walt Disney Pictures snuck in as a surprise for Comic-Con attendees a couple years ago. The crowds reaction was the final element needed to get the Suits to pull the trigger on the sequel. Soon with the release of "Alice" an actual 3D teaser for the film can be seen for the first time. This is the one many people got to check out last week when they followed that viral campaign to several locations across the country. And come late summer you can expect an actual trailer with more of the journey into the world of Tron. It's evolved a lot in a generation and this holiday season we're finally going to get to see it. We're a long way from the disappointment of 1982.

It's taken twenty-eight years to change this. 2010 will be a huge year for the sequel to Tron. Huge. And should the box office returns provide what Disney Suits with smiling faces then you can expect a whole lot more over the coming years. On the theatrical front, this could be the beginning of a new trilogy. And I'm not talking about including the original Tron. If all goes according to plan you could see this as the first in a trilogy of films that start with the word "Tron" and end somewhere else... Legacy is only the beginning. There are preliminary plans to milk this into a franchise of "Pirate" proportions. And the buzz from it so far is very good.

And that's not the only Tron project they're planning on having for us in the possible future. The plans have been put into motion for a computer animated television series that could conceivably be up by late 2011/early 2012. This would be something of a placeholder to keep the fans interest still peaked in between this first film and the next one. No word yet on where it will wind up being broadcast. It's not known if it'll be staged for the Mouse's fledgling boy channel Disney XD or the more mainstream ABC network, but as of now the concept has been greenlit for a pilot. We'll see how this project evolves down the development line as the film's release gets closer.

Then there is the merchandise that you're going to see flood the parks come this October/November. Expect Tomorrowland to be filled with all things Tron. And some of the areas are being talked about getting "thematic" makeovers. If you're into Retro-Eighties with the Captain Eo attraction back for a limited run, then prepare for more, albeit fictional nostalgia. Should it get approved, you might get to see the arcade next to Space Mountain turned into a variation of "Flynn's Arcade." We'll cross our fingers and see if the Suits make the call on this one.

Naturally, there's the talk of a Tron attraction at Disneyland and various other theme parks. WDI is working on concepts for a Tron experience, but don't expect a fully immersive Tron Legacy attraction by the time the film opens. Any attraction wouldn't be seen in Tommowland until 2012 at the earliest... but that doesn't mean there won't be surprises between now and then.

I've been told that nothing has been signed off on for an E-Ticket, but Imagineers are working to create an impressive addition to the already talked about elaborate expansion of Disneyland for the sixtieth anniversary. While my Bothans were spare with the details since they are in the embryonic phase, they none-the-less said that the concepts are pure, Disney spectacle and absolute techno-geek magic. There are many things that are being planned in this blue sky phase, but remember that it's early. Just like the Tron universe, these designs/plans are likely to evolve.

Box office results will factor into this so remember that mileage may vary depending on what the final tally is. Either way, the word for Disney's future is out there.